Trausnitz Castle
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Trausnitz Castle is a medieval castle situated in the town of Landshut in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It was the home of the Wittelsbach dynasty, serving as their residence as dukes of Lower Bavaria from 1255–1503, and later as hereditary rulers of the whole of Bavaria. The castle was founded in 1204 by Duke Ludwig I.
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[edit] Castle features
[edit] Knights' Hall
The Knights' Hall of Castle Trausnitz belongs to the base buildings of the 13th century and it already existed around 1260/70. The room is 245 m² tall and is separated in two naves, to four "Jochen" a nave. The constructions that were used belong to the time period of the so called "Zisterziensergotik". Today the Knights' Hall is used for festal banquets or for short exhibitions.
[edit] Tower Terrace (Söller)
The "Loggia", already called so since 1493, got its final form in the 16th century. The Tower Terrace sports a great view of the city through the round arcs. At the east side there is a stair tower. The wooden ceiling with shaped rosettes is descended from the time of Wilhelm V. There is a stone walled music platform on the south side of the room. The "Söller" is today used for functions, holding a maximum of 99 people.
[edit] White Hall (Weißer Saal)
The White Hall is on the first floor of the "Dürnitz" tract and is directly above the Knights' Hall. The White Hall has probably existed since the 15th century and was probably planned as a big ballroom. It appears that the hall was never finished, because there are no traces of paintings like was usual for the castle at this time. The about 240 m² tall room, which is two floors large, is today used for banquets, greetings, concerts and lectures. The visitors can enjoy the great view over the ancient city of Landshut.
[edit] Chamber of Art and Curiosities (Kunst- und Wunderkammer)
A phenomenon in the Renaissance that proliferated Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the cabinet of curiosities was in essence a personal collection of rare, unknown and marvelous objects. Popular, visual and encyclopedic in their approach, these cabinets, or Wunderkammern, included a diversity of specimens from both known and newly discovered worlds. These collections of curious objects that are seemingly not human in nature require the idea or application of human characteristics and traits to describe their inhuman state.
The Trausnitz Chamber of Art and Curiosities which was arranged by Prince Wilhelm in 1579 and then taken to Munich is a collection of 750 exhibits including works of art, treasures from the Orient and curiosities typical of the collections owned by rulers in the Renaissance era. It was reopened in September 2004 as one part of the Bavarian National Museum. The chamber is divided into four different themes. ARTIFICIALA—wondrous legerdemains—contains sumptuous bronze and painting but also midget carving of plum stones. NATURALIA—the wonder of nature—gets shown stuffed animals, extraordinary horns, mussels and minerals. The hall of EXOTICA—marvellousness from foreign countries—contains craft of corals, ivory and nacre whereas SCIENTIFICA—scientific arranges the world—shows scientific instruments of rational acquisition of the world in year 1600.
[edit] History
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Trausnitz Castle stands atop a hill above Landshut. Before the 16th century, it carried the same name as the town, Landshut, which translates to "hat on the land". In old times, the castle played the part of the "hat," providing protection for the city and the surrounding land.
The castle almost has the same dimensions today as it had during the time of Ludwig der Kelheimer in 1204. Most parts of the castle you see today were finally completed when in 1235 Kaiser Friedrich II came to visit.
In the first half of the 13th century Trausnitz represented not only the centre of empire politics but also of the Staufer culture. Landshut was also visited during this period by famous minnesinger like Walter von der Vogelweide and Tannhäuser. The patronage of art by the Herzogs was so high that they sent for a sculptor from Strasbourg who created jewellery for a sculpture that now stands in the Castle's Burgkapelle.
Due to the wealthy Herzogs of Landshut, Burg Trausnitz underwent many renovations and expansions of its buildings in the 15th century. The Dürnitz was built during this time. The outer defensive ring of walls were heightened and extended as well as the defensive towers.
Herzog Ludwig X furnished the castle in 1516 in (south) German renaissance style. Unfortunately, there are just a few examples of it left today. Many paintings in the Florentin style were added at this time that were mostly lost due to fire. Later, Kurfürst Ferdinand Maria (1675-1679) undertook restorations of the burned paintings while other rooms were painted for the first time.
In 18th century, the castle was used a barracks and a prison for noble prisoners. In the beginning of the 19th century it was used as a hospital.
For miles around you can see the silhouette of the Dürnitztrakt, the Kapellenbuilding, the former Palas and the Wittelsbach tower from city side. If one approaches the castle from the backside, one must first pass the outer mooring through the inner court over a bridge and through the main entrance gate.
